Possession, not always 910ths of the law!
by willwrite4fics
Summary: At least not when it comes to possessing a Ranger Sgt major in GI Joe. Spooky fic, some mention of BH/CG, involves spirit possession theme.
1. Chapter 1

So originally this was to be posted by last Halloween. It's just a WEE bit late obviously. But at any rate, I hope it's a spooky sort of story for everyone.

I do not make any money from my fics, and I have no rights to the GI Joe franchise.

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Beachhead was walking patrol. It was somewhere between 2am and 2:10am. His internal clock was fairly accurate. The time meant he was grumpy. This time of night usually meant he was asleep. He wasn't even patrolling somewhere important. He wasn't guarding a hidden camp, wasn't watching enemy forces... he was walking the perimeter fence at the Joe base. So he was patrolling the middle of a desert. A deserted desert in fact.

Word games. He was reduced to telling himself puns in his head because he was so bored. It wasn't that he wasn't paying attention to his patrolling. He was alert. Beachhead on patrol meant no one was sneaking past, no insurgents crept up on a place HE guarded. Hefting his rifle in his hands, he narrowed his gaze slightly and scanned the empty darkness. He was on guard.

If he had a cookie in his pocket, he'd have dessert in the deserted desert.

"Gawd dammit." Beach firmly told the over-eager eight-year-old who'd studied perhaps a bit more than he really needed to shut up and go back into his corner of the brain where he belonged.

Another ten minutes of steady walking brought him to a guard station. The greenshirt on duty might be used to half-dozing through the hours, but knowing the Sergeant major was the roaming guard somehow made the sleepiness disappear entirely. Beachhead was properly challenged and returned the codewords. He spent a moment checking that all was normal before walking off into the darkness again, carrying his rifle at the ready and scanning for anything that was abnormal.

Having a dessert in the dark deserted desert.

Beachhead sighed. He wished he'd been ordered to night patrol. Then he could be angry at whoever issued the order. Especially if it was Flint. Being angry at Flint would have been a fine way to pass a few hours. But nooo, he volunteered to be out here, bored and vaguely annoyed that there was nothing to spot and no one to discover and shoot. But he'd owed Tunnelrat a favor and when the little explosives expert wanted the night off, he'd called in that favor. Now here he was, patrolling in the light of the full moon, bored and getting more annoyed by the boring moment. His fingers tightened slightly on the rifle as a soft whisper of noise reached his ears. His stride did not pause or hesitate. No reason to alert the enemy that he'd detected them.

There... another sigh of noise that wasn't just the night breeze moving dry sparse grasses... Beachhead twisted suddenly, aiming unerringly at the intruder. The intruder froze in place, only a slight twitching of the desert hare's nose betraying that it was not just another clump of grass. He grunted and lowered his gun, frowning at the rabbit. "Well, go on... git!"

The rabbit didn't hesitate to 'git'... bounding away into the night leaving behind nothing but a few puffs of disturbed sand. Beachhead gave a snort of derision and started to turn away when another soft noise caught his attention. Lifting the rifle, he peered intently into the night. His first thought was another member of the native wildlife. The noise returned... almost a whisper of a voice... or was it a trick of the silence that it seemed like words being whispered just under his hearing?

He stepped forward quietly. On the third step out towards the empty desert, a glitter in the sands caught his eye. Something caught the moonlight and cast it back in tiny flashes, almost unnoticeable. Beachhead had to tear his gaze away from the enticing object to scan the night again. Almost against his will, his eyes returned to the glitter and he knelt to reach down, brushing loose sand away. The escaping rabbit had kicked it up, leaving the object half exposed in the moonlight for him to spot. Somehow the more he saw it, the more desirable it was to touch it, to sift it out of the dirt and finally to hold the coveted thing in his palm.

Beach held it up to the light. It was a very old stone arrow head... he tilted it to the side. As large as it was... possibly a spearpoint. The stray thought that he should take it to Charlie "Spirit" Ironhorse since it was a Native artifact crossed his mind. Beach examined it closer. It reached almost across his palm. As he turned it over, the dim light caught on the ridges and dips in the volcanic glass, painstakingly chipped into the lethal spearpoint shape by some hands long ago.

He kept looking at it, somehow mesmerized by the look and feel of it. The whispering noise returned but now it seemed soothing instead of alarming. The ranger's breath slowed and became slightly unsteady as his mind seemed to fixate on how pretty the spearpoint was, how perfectly balanced it set on his palm, how finely knapped the edges were... he reached with his other hand to run a finger along the edge, suddenly wincing when the blade bit into his bare fingertip. Blood welled up and, impossibly, soaked into the glass.

Instantly his brain seemed to clear and he blinked and started to look up when _something _wound into his mind and clamped down, stunning him. Beach gasped, struggling suddenly to remember how to breathe, losing his balance as his senses went haywire. The soft whispering voice was now shouting triumphantly inside his head. He collapsed twitching and thrashing in the sand, his hand clamped around the deceptively enticing artifact.

In only a few seconds his body stilled and he lay prone in the desert sands. Paralyzed from the inside, Beach felt as if he were fighting himself as his muscles relaxed and his limbs ceased to move. His mind was wrapped up and slowly each sense faded, his hearing going silent, his eyes going blind until even his sense of touch shut down, leaving him stranded in nothing. 'Sensory deprivation', his brain gave the state a label. Cut off from everything, Beachhead could barely tell that his body was still raggedly breathing.

The sense of an Other winding in his mind became stronger and the voice grew louder.

_It has been long... many years since I felt a human form... _

To his horror, Beach felt his body begin to respond to the Other's commands. The short panting became calm deep breaths and his eyes opened and looked up at the stars, washed out by the full moon's light. The relief of having his senses reawaken was destroyed by the fact that he couldn't control his own body.

_Nukpana breathes again. Foolish mortal..._ Beach experienced a flash of pain as the invading spirit did something to his mind. _You should feel privileged to host such a powerful being as myself._

Beachhead's mind retreated from the punishment and he snarled angrily. *Get away from me! Get out of my head!* Instead of intimidating the spirit, he felt the mocking amusement. He lashed out at the unwanted presence and was rebuffed. He reached to control his own body and was struck back again. This Nukpana easily kept him from reasserting control, whipping pain into him each time.

_Nukpana controls this form and it would be best for you to accede before I destroy you entirely. _The force inside his mind tightened it's hold and then turned its attention to the new body. Flexing the various limbs and rising to his feet, Nukpana enjoyed the play between muscles and bones as he stalked the area, enjoying the night air he'd not felt in nearly a century. _Trapped in that ill-made spearpoint, now I can fulfill my own dreams. _An evil smile spread across the body's face. _Destruction of all humankind..._

* * *

End chapter... and here the adventure goes...


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all the reviewers and readers. I appreciate the feedback. Same disclaimers, blah blah, no ownership rights responsibilities.

_CHAPTER 2_

Beachhead struggled again as his body obeyed the new intelligence. Somehow he was reduced to a passenger in his own mind and watched helplessly as this Nukpana took over and began walking along the fence. He buried the relief that the unfamiliar weapon was left lying where his numbed hands had dropped it. His body had enough lethal capabilities without handing a semi-automatic rifle filled with ammunition to the thing. As Nukpana continued along the fence, peering into the night and looking for the first opportunity to cause mayhem in this newer modern world, Beach realized the Other didn't have access to his thoughts as long as he wasn't blatantly throwing them out at him.

Suddenly the searchlights of the guardhouse came into view and Nukpana sped up, walking quickly towards the oblivious greenshirt on duty. Beach felt panic at the thoughts of bloody murder rushing through the spirit's mind. His greenshirt would only see the trusted Sergeant major, not a threat and the plans about to be put into play would only end in screaming tortuous death. His mind raced as he tried to think of some way to warn him, or to assert control over his body or to stop this at all.

Greenshirt Miller turned and lifted his rifle slightly to an attentive pose, showing himself as alert to the approaching Ranger. "Sergeant major! All clear here." He gave a nod, confident in the knowledge he was doing his duty correctly and thus had no reason to worry that Beachhead would raise any sort of fuss.

Nukpana let one hand slide onto the handle of the large well-made combat knife and smiled at the oblivious guard on duty. He would never know what was happening until a death blow was being dealt. This... this would be his first victim. He pictured how the first stab would drive into the solar plexis, cutting up into the lung, the gasping screams of pain... he relished the pain he would inflict.

Deep inside the shared mind, Beach thought loudly. *_Kill him, yes. As soon as he is down, the alarm will sound... the rest of my friends will know... yes, it will be over quickly as long as Nukpana kills this one..._* He repeated the thoughts desperately. He didn't dare think of saving the life of his head greenshirt, only that killing him would be a formula guaranteed to stop Nukpana.

Nukpana paused, looking outwardly at the calm unwary soldier standing within striking distance. He wouldn't fall for this heavy-handed attempt to fool him. If he killed this outer sentry, the alert would destroy his ability to continue a satisfying rampage. In fact... he followed the thought... if he left this underground fort of soldiers behind him, they would know. The body he dwelt in would be searched for and when they discovered his whereabouts, they would stop him from enjoying his new life.

He nodded quietly at the greenshirt. "Carry on." He turned his steps towards the buildings that hid the entrance to the base. First, he would enter the base... yes. This was much better. The stupid original inhabitant of this fit able body was foolish to allow him to see how to best proceed with his plans.

Beach didn't dare breathe easier. Instead he tried to project dismay as his body headed for the entrance to the Pitt. The Joe team could stop this demon... they were his only hope. He had to steer Nukpana into alerting the Joes that Beachhead wasn't really Beachhead. As they approached one of the mechanics working on night shift repairing a Mauler tread, he suddenly felt panic wondering if Courtney would be there. His panic made the suspicious ghost pause and Beachhead rapidly forced his thoughts towards the door that hid the lift into the Pitt.

*_Don't see the lift... don't see the lift..._* he repeated over and over while projecting the image of the door as intently as possible. Shoving aside any worry over his girlfriend, he focused on the doorway instead.

Nukpana smiled as he headed for the lift doors, bypassing the mechanic bobbing his head to the music blaring into his ears from the strange headpiece he wore. A single man was of no consequence... he needed to be down in the belly of this fortress. He entered the door, only to find himself in a tiny room. For a moment, he was concerned there was some trick. A row of brightly glowing numbers appeared on the wall and he ran his fingers over one of them. When a loud ding sounded and the room began to shift, he braced himself against the wall.

"If this is some trap..." Nukpana felt the tiny human soul inside him begin to intensely agree that it was a trick and he shouldn't go down any further levels, they should go up to the empty empty desert and leave immediately. The evil spirit straightened up and thought to the trapped soul. "Oh you'd like that... but no, I shall go and find these comrades of yours."

Beach continued to try to project dismay while he surreptitiously tried to reassert control without the spirit noticing. There was no way that some outsider should be able to control his own body and push him aside this way. He pried at the ironclad barrier blocking him from his own responses futilely.

There was an evil chuckle at his expense. Nukpana spoke to him. "I have much experience in taking any body that pleases me. You pathetic humans cannot withstand me." Almost casually, he struck back the feeble human mind, sending it reeling back into it's little corner. "You may sit quietly and be honored to be the previous owner of my chosen body, or I can crush you like a bug under my heel. The choice is no matter to me."

Another loud ding sounded as the moving room stopped. Nukpana smiled to himself as the door opened by itself. Powerful magics existed in this time and place. Soon he would master all of it. He strode down a hall, peering into darkened rooms with glittering eyes. Where were his victims? He reached for the human's thoughts and turned to the left, feeling smug at how easy it was to outmaneuver the idiotic human. This 'Beachhead' continued to try to trick him into leaving and he could easily read his true motives.

Suddenly his attention was caught by another human approaching them in the narrow hallway. It was another adult man, this one wearing a smaller hat perched on top of his head. The unconcerned face looked up and saw them walking towards him and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Beach... aren't you supposed to be patrolling? What's wrong? Forget your warm woolies?" The smirk changed to a complete blank when Nukpana swiveled into a powerful kick that slammed into the side of the human's head. The man dropped to the floor unconscious and Nukpana laughed softly. He'd never even suspected an attack from his comrade in arms.

Beachhead was just a tiny bit torn. His first teammate had been struck down easily by Nukpana... but then... Flint was lying on the floor with a particularly stupid look on his unconscious face. He couldn't help but be just the tiniest bit amused, even as he was also properly horrified at the violence done to his warrant officer. Beach did feel quite annoyed that he'd gone down so easily though. Even if it WAS Beachhead walking down the hallway, Flint could have at least been a little on guard. He hadn't even managed to try to get a block up in time. He grumbled to himself at the ineptness of it all. Cobra HAD a shapechanger as an ally. Hell, a ninja could probably pretend to be the masked Ranger in a pinch. His attention was snatched back as Nukpana slid his combat knife out of the sheath.

*_Oh no no..._* He squashed that thought quickly as Nukpana twitched and paused. *_Yes.. kill him so the alarm sounds when they find him and then Nukpana will be stopped quickly... kill him kill him kill him..._* He pushed aside the guilty feeling that came with the thoughts. Perhaps he could get the angry ghost to kick Flint... just a _little_ bit maybe. Thinking of non-lethal minor damage helped him continue the urging of murder. Nukpana mulled it over. The evil thing really did want to start murdering people and was beginning to feel more frustration than caution.

"No one will find this body in time..." Evil almost oozed from Nukpana as he reached down to take hold of one arm. The knife dipped down towards the unguarded throat.

End Chapter

I hope this continues to entertain and inspires a little spine tingles. This won't be a epic length fic, I think 4 chapters. Enjoy reading and I love reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

Halloween

New chapter! Will Flint die? Let's find out...

_CHAPTER 3_

*_ROAMING PATROLS_* Beach shouted inside his mind, projecting as strongly as possible the idea of double guards walking the halls constantly. It wasn't true, the Joe base underground was woefully underguarded as far as the Ranger was concerned but it didn't matter if it was untrue. All trace of amusement was gone as he fought against the spirit's desire to spill blood.

Nukpana snarled to himself. He didn't want to be smart and cautious, he wanted blood and viscera and a heart to squeeze in his fist. He could feel the pulse of the healthy body lying on the floor, inches from the edge of this wonderfully sharp steel blade. Nukpana ripped the cloth mask from his host's face and flung it down. He booted the human on the floor in the ribs and then swiped the knife across the smooth skin over the collarbone. Blood welled up slowly from the shallow cut. He dragged the body into a room and then gave it one more kick out of frustration.

He stalked out of the room, pausing to orient himself in the unfamiliar halls and then heading down the dimly lit corridor. Nukpana fumed, angrily planning in great detail how his next victim would die, messily, with a great deal of blood gouting from severed limbs.

Beachhead reeled with the images flooding through their shared mind. Even as hardened a soldier as Wayne Sneeden was, the plans and memories of bloody torture and death was overwhelming. He just had to foil Nukpana's plans for a little longer... the scene of 'him' kicking Flint down would bring someone running. The security cameras were manned twenty-four hours a day and even if whoever was on duty figured in the long-standing feud between the Warrant officer and Sergeant major into the situation, they'd send Duke or someone to stop the fight or help Flint or punish Beachhead. Something. He just had to hold out until they came and took him into custody for attacking a teammate. They'd lock him up, especially if he/Nukpana resisted.

He snorted to himself. At least Flint folding up like a wet dishrag would be useful.

* * *

Security offices 5 minutes before...

Mainframe groaned as he hefted a new screen into place. The greenshirt tech assisting him fed the new cable up through the desk for him. "Okay got it. Unplug that flickering screen."

The greenshirt nodded and reached for the defective viewscreen. The image of the Sergeant major walking down the hallway towards Flint suddenly disappeared as he pulled the wires loose. It took only a few minutes to have the old one out of the way, then he carefully fastened the new cables to the new display. Zipties secured the wires neatly out of the way, keeping the nest of cables and wires sorted out behind the desk. Finally Mainframe plugged the last wire into place and powered up the video screen.

As the black screen flickered to life, they watched as the picture cleared. An empty hallway blinked into view then it switched to a different section of hall where Beachhead was walking. Mainframe hummed idly while watching the screen. He retook his seat in the center of the console and flicked the switches to make sure all the camera feeds were coming in correctly. "Good job. Sometimes these old screens just go out. Once they start flickering like that, you've got to replace them right away. Otherwise pop! And then people start getting all angry that you're not watching every section of the base, because you've got to go get a new screen and install it."

The greenshirt agreed quietly and took the second station. He checked all the feeds and the recording equipment to be sure it was all in order. "I bet I can guess the most likely 'people' that would be raising a fuss about 5 minutes of downtime on one section of cameras."

Mainframe chuckled. "Yes, I'd bet you could. But since he wasn't here, we don't have to listen to a smelly Sergeant major yell at us." He stretched a moment and then looked at the camera feeds again. "Hey, wasn't Flint coming down the hall? Where'd he go? He's supposed to come give me a break and he said he'd be here before now."

The greenshirt ran through all the various cameras and shrugged. "He's not showing on the public cameras... " He paused and then glanced nervously over at Mainframe. "Ummm, not that I'm insinuating anything at all, but is LadyJaye off duty?"

Mainframe narrowed his gaze and then rolled his eyes. "Dammit. He was supposed to be here giving me ten minutes break! Geez Louise! You'd think he could wait until I've had my break!" He leaned back in his chair and frowned. "Great. Boring security duty and nothing's happening and now I gotta sit until Flint get's his jollies."

* * *

Nukpana continued to roam the hallways, peering into rooms on occasion. Some of the strange doors did not open, even when he pressed on them with all of his weight. He amused himself by pouring images of some of the more gruesome tortures he planned to use into his new host's mind. The human was horrified at the brutality.

The hallway he was following led into a large open room filled with machines and tables and... Nukpana's borrowed heart beat faster at the welcome sight... a lone human dressed in green clothing, bent over a noisy machine. His eyes assessed the room and he growled to himself noting the second exit point on the far side of the room. No matter. He could fool this human into allowing him to approach close enough to disable him. Then the blood could flow and the screams could begin.

Beachhead was relieved when the gory images cleared. Then he noticed Nukpana's focused attention. Another of his greenshirts was hunched over one of the drill press machines. Since it was Mouth, there was a higher than average chance he wasn't supposed to be doing what he was doing and Beach cursed inside his head at the trooper for not being in his bunk sleeping like he was supposed to be.

Nukpana narrowed his gaze, trying to judge how best to entice the victim closer. He was certain he could fool the man into allowing the 'friend' to walk up close enough for an attack. Simply presenting the familiar appearance of his host would be enough to deceive.

Mouth hummed softly to himself. Normally he wouldn't risk being in the machine shop when he was supposed to be sleeping. But he couldn't very well drill a hole in the cook's favorite wok pan with everyone working in here seeing him do it. After hours was the best time to do anything illicit since Sgt major would be asleep and... he heard the noise of someone entering the shop and he hurried to shut down the drill and plastered an innocent look on his face as he turned.

… and then he froze at the sight of the unmasked Sgt major standing there. His thoughts raced as he tried to think of a legitimate excuse to be here, something plausible that would keep Beachhead from wanting to eviscerate him.

Even as he opened his mouth to tell the best lie he could come up with, a smile spread across the Ranger's face, he... he was looking at Mouth... smiling...

Even with the greenshirt's extensive training and nerves of steel couldn't withstand a sight that fearsome. Beachhead didn't smile in a friendly way at anyone, least of all an errant greenshirt caught in the act. He smiled when Bad Things were going to happen... usually to errant greenshirts caught in the act... His body took over before his brain could react.

Nukpana was stunned when his potential victim suddenly turned tail and bolted out of the room. Beachhead couldn't help his fleeting moment of glee at the utter confusion in the demon's mind when the greenshirt reacted in such a manner at what was supposed to be a friendly smile. For once, his own fearsome reputation as an unfriendly tyrant had a good affect.

Recovering his poise, Nukpana snarled angrily and lashed the captive mind inside his with pain. "_It is no matter... one human is akin to another... they will all scream when the end comes_."

Grabbing one of the heavy machines, Nukpana flung it over in a huge crash. "I WILL HAVE BLOOD!" With no victims in flesh to vent his anger on, he turned on the trapped mind. After a moment he ceased and calmed his anger so he could focus. "No matter. There are victims here. I will find them and I will have blood and I will have death." He chose to exit the room and continue down halls, seeking out the people he knew were down here.

Finally he could discern voices down yet another of these cursed halls. As he sped up, he rounded a corner to find a beautiful young female just exiting a room. His bloodlust abruptly changed to a much more carnal form of lust. Nukpana wanted this woman... he would have her before the carnage began. He smiled at her, stepping closer, gambling that she would react in a more predictable manner to a friendly expression on this human's face. Not all the humans here could be so deranged as to flee from a smile.

* * *

Covergirl tousled her hair a bit and yawned. The movie had ended up being rather boring. The kind that made you expect something to happen soon but then it had been over without ever really being very entertaining. Disappointing but then, it'd been an excuse to sit up late, make rude jokes at the actors' expense with some of her teammates and eat copious amounts of popcorn. It would have been a good evening if her Ranger hadn't been on duty... well and if she would have been able to convince him to stay up late for a mediocre film... and if he didn't spend the entire time complaining about how mediocre it was...

Speaking of the surly non-film-appreciative man himself, she spotted him walking towards her and flashed him a brilliant smile. He responded, surprising seeing as it was the wee hours of the morning and he was awake. Generally he was so grumpy she avoided him entirely at this time of night. Maybe he'd found a sleeping guard and had gotten to scream at him. Who knew.

"Hey Ranger man... are you off shift already?" She stood and let him come to her. Sometimes it was best to get him to be forward... she was startled when he pressed her against the wall and stroked his hands down her body, letting out a soft growl. "Wayne?"

"Yesss... I want you..." Nukpana's desire went to white hot as he touched the curves and smoothness of the woman. His eyes locked on hers suddenly and he felt his lips draw back in a feral smile.

Courtney reached up to put her hands on Beach's shoulders, playfully pushing him slightly away. "Wayne... what's gotten in... you..." She looked into eyes that should by all rights have been a deep hazel-brown and she watched them go black and flash gold deep inside... and that strange crazy expression... Wayne never made that expression... her eyes widened. "You're not Wayne!" Shoving him back forcefully, she slammed a fist into the broad chest. "Who are you!?"

"You will NOT deny me, woman!" Nukpana snarled and grabbed a handful of her hair, snatching her close to him. "I will take you... as many times as is pleasurable... then you shall scream... aaauuuuuuuUUUUUGHH!" Nukpana arched backwards, struggling for control over the body as the human owner suddenly surged powerfully. He fought back, trying to reassert control.

_Get. Away. From. Her! _Beachhead snatched at his body, forcing Nukpana to step backwards as balance skewed.

Nukpana snarled angrily and suddenly was struck across the ear by a punch from the woman still dangling from his grip on her hair. He seized the human mind inside, took control back and backhanded the female away and into the wall where her small form crumpled up in a heap. That would teach her to dare strike at...

A indignant roar erupted inside the mind and Beachhead surged up. Righteous anger gave him strength to fight against the hold on his consciousness. _Don't you touch her! _

It took Nukpana a moment to subdue him again, pinning him into his corner and binding him immobile with pain. That moment was enough and as his attention came back to his physical surroundings, he found the voices in the other room had become humans gathered around him. They showed varying levels of suspicion, concern and anger. He crouched in the center of the room, growling and peering around to size up the threats.

"You will all die... " His jaw unhinged as he roared power at them. The human inside struggled feebly but could no longer interfere. His enemies rushed at him and he prepared to slaughter them all.

* * *

And then the fight started...


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to all the reviewers, I appreciate them! I've been told how creepy and scary it is, so I think it's a success as a horror fic! *rubs hands* Gee, what genre will be up next?

_CHAPTER 4_

Everyone in the rec room had been stunned when the fight broke out between Beachhead and Covergirl. Sure, they shouted at each other like a couple of fishwives at times, but the Ranger never ever lifted a hand against her. Every man in the room rose up to protect her only to experience another wave of stunned confusion when the person they thought was Beachhead suddenly morphed into a strange malformed creature then slid back into the familiar shape of their Sergeant major. The scream that erupted was a cross between a screech of anger and the feedback from a electronic speaker and made more than a few people clamp hands over their ears.

Shipwreck stared and shook his head. "I don't think Beachhead is feeling himself tonight..." He stepped back as the face turned to glare at him. The sailor felt a finger of ice trail down his spine at the empty gaze. "Oh my barnacles..."

Clutch was closest and grabbed to restrain Beachhead. "Calm down Beach! There's no call to be hitting Covergirl like that..." He grappled briefly, trying to pin an arm down before getting flung across the room.

The creature/Beachhead screamed shrilly again. "None of you shall stand against the power of Nukpana! I will bathe in your blood! I will strangle you with your own intestines!"

Lady Jaye ducked as Alpine tumbled past, thrown bodily away with ease. Whoever this was, he didn't fight anything like Beachhead's brawling style. There was a great deal of long stroking swipes, grappling wrestling moves and sweeping kicks that the heavy Ranger never favored. He seemed unable to comprehend the punishing short punches that should be taking a quick toll on him. Instead he absorbed blows without showing much sign of pain at all. Another scream of fury made her wince.

"Nukpana will see you all kneel!" He suddenly seemed to lose his balance, snarling at nothing and she saw his limbs shudder for a moment before steadying and grappling with the next Joe attempting to contain him.

She suddenly frowned, her mind catching on the name. Nukpana... where had she heard that... She reached out to steady Shipwreck as he was knocked towards a coffeetable by a powerful kick. "Watch it... " She snatched up a lamp and swung it by the cord, tangling it around this Nukpana's legs and slowing him down for a moment. "Nukpana! That's a Hopi name!"

Shipwreck made a face. "Hokey? Well, it's not any more hokey than 'Beachhead' or 'Footloose' really..."

She sighed. "Not 'hokey', Shipwreck... 'HOPI', as in the Native American tribe." She ducked behind a table as a armchair crashed over them.

Shipwreck crawled from under the wreckage of the entertainment center. "Tribe? I thought they were Apaches?"

Jaye wished she had the time to count to ten. "Just go get Spirit!"

"Why? Is he hokey?" The sailor was already working his way towards the exit though and she couldn't spare time to throw anything at him.

Nukpana was infuriated at his inability to kill these humans. It was if they were experienced in fighting opponents trained to kill. Their fighting methods were incomprehensible and he was becoming even more frustrated as they continued to fail to die.

"You will all be defeated! Bow to me!" He snarled angrily as another of the annoying humans kicked him in the back, knocking him forward into several blows from a female wielding a spear. The shaft of the spear slammed into him several times before he intercepted it. Snatching it aside, he flipped the end over and swung the end into the side of one of his opponent's heads.

Nukpana easily ignored the pain from each blow, the byproduct of having the host's mind trapped with him. The host could feel the pain, Nukpana wouldn't be bothered. He forced the human limbs beyond their physical limits, slamming a fist into a dark-skinned man attempting to grapple him from behind. "Release me immediately!" Swinging the blade of the spear around, he sliced towards a throat, stymied when the host of the body surged up and grappled for control of his arm. The swing wobbled and missed and Nukpana was cheated out of taking yet another human life. Beating the human spirit within him down, he tried to split his attention to the battle outside of his mind.

Beach struggled to exert control over his body. Even though he could do little more than distract Nukpana, it was proving to be enough that no one else was taking much damage. As Nukpana swung his K Bar knife at Shipwreck's throat, Beach reached to take control of that arm. The blade wavered mid-swing and the sailor escaped with a light scratch on his shoulder instead of having his carotid severed.

"Hey Beach, chill out!" Shipwreck moved in slower, grabbing the knife hand and getting a toss across the room for his efforts. Nukpana was overclocking his human body, pushing it to strength it should not have had. Being able to ignore pain meant the demon was laughing off the efforts of the Joes. Their holding back in order to try not to hurt what they believed to be their teammate who had gone inexplicably crazy was hampering the attempts to stop him.

"You worms will never defeat me!" he shouted. Nukpana spent years' of build-up anger, roaring taunts and threats. The interfering human mind annoyed him but he dared not destroy it entirely. His host body needed it to survive. He snarled and shot a lash of pain inwards at it anyway as it tried to regain control again. It didn't need to be happy to exist, however.

Reeling back, Beach focused in time to watch Alpine get smashed into the floor. The near unconscious Joe was struggling to rise as Nukpana forced Beach aside to line up a killing strike.

"Stop your madness, demon!" Spirit shouted into the room. As the briefly distracted demon turned to look, Alpine crawled to safety.

"Pueblo dog," Nukpana sneered. "You think your skills are equal to the great and powerful Nukpana?! Even in this human body I will easily defeat you all!" The demon crouched and roared his fury and power at them.

Spirit shook his head, as collected as he always was. "No, foul evil. In that body you are too powerful." He suddenly tossed a small smoking bundle into the room at their feet. "Which is why I brought holy sage to force you to abandon it... or die within it."

Even as the first wisps of smoke entered the body's nostrils Nukpana felt the stirrings of fear. Leaping across the room, he searched for any exit. More small bundles landed on the floor and he recoiled in disgust. The human mind took the opportunity to try to wedge itself back into control and he crushed it away ruthlessly. He would not be defeated this way. His reign of terror had waited too long. "You will not defeat me, do not think to defy my.." He coughed violently as more of the smudge entered his lungs. "...my ...my will! You..." The demon wheezed and shuddered. "...you mortals cannot... " his words ended and he screamed loudly.

Beach felt a tearing sensation in his mind. His lungs were burning with smoke now and he could hear Spirit shouting but working out the words was too hard. Nukpana began screaming in a high pitch both with voice and inside Beach's head. The shrilling began to inch into a feedback squeal, grating on human eardrums. Suddenly the pain inside his mind popped and like a blocked ear clearing itself, the world snapped back into focus for him.

In the same instant, at least four of his teammates dogpiled on top of him. Beach would have fought them off out of sheer principle but at the moment he was still unsure if Nukpana was gone or if he would reappear. Also, his lungs were half choked and he wasn't entirely certain he was capable. His voice croaked painfully after all of the demon's screaming, "Stop me..."

"You just lie there!" Wetsuit was twisting one arm up behind him hard, leaning to keep leverage on the Ranger. "Someone has cuffs, right? Tell me someone has some freaking cuffs before he gets a second wind!" Another Joe had Beach's right leg twisted up as well and in short order he felt cuffs click tightly around his wrists. He ended up hogtied on the rec room floor, ankles secured to his wrists, wrenching his already sore back into a awkward backwards arch. He'd never been so relieved to be trussed up like a calf.

He turned his face to peer up at Spirit crouching over him. "Is it gone?"

Spirit waved a smoking bundle of herbs under his nose a few times, watching him cough weakly. "Yes, what was the focus stone? What was the demon possessing? Where is it?"

Beach jerked his chin to the side slightly. "Under the couch... what's left of the couch... it's a stone knife or arrowhead." His voice sounded a little put out. "I was gonna bring the damn thing to you cause it looks like some kinda Indian thing that you'd know about." Spirit lifted the arm of the couch and squatted down to peer carefully at the knapped volcanic glass point. "Don't touch the damn thing..."

Spirit hummed to himself. "It's definitely an ancient Hopi design. It's a spearpoint, not an arrowhead." He put his face down next to the floor, looking at the edges. "Did you shed blood with it?" He looked intensely at Beachhead. "Any blood at all? Did anyone get cut with it in the fight?"

Beach snorted. "Ain't no one bled on it but me. I cut my hand on it when I found it." He wriggled the hand from where it was cuffed behind his back. "I say let's set the fucking thing on fire."

His teammate was taking out a sheet of leather and carefully wrapping the blade. "No, I will destroy it." He smiled tightly at the Ranger. "I will crush it with a hammer, that will send the demon back to the spirit plane where it belongs."

"Don't send it somewhere!" Beach struggled slightly, making Wetsuit lean on him again. "Kill the thing!" He could barely manage to rock back and forth with the weight of three teammates on top of him. "Destroy the damned thing!"

Spirit shook his head solemnly. "I cannot. Nukpana is from another plane of existence.. he is a part of the natural universe and therefor has to be returned to his rightful place. But he will not be able to return without the focus stone."

Shipwreck hefted a small sledgehammer. "Well, he might just be getting sent back to home and all, but we can at least send him on his way with a kick, right?" He had a hopeful grin. "I mean, if he was Beachhead and beating all of us up and such, we should at least get a good whack back at him!"

Spirit sighed at his teammate, but anyone who knew the Native American would notice the slight smile of agreement. "Well it is a bit crude to take revenge..." He settled the elegantly knapped spearpoint on the tile floor. "But then... we Joes are not often noted for a great abundance of culture." He took the sledgehammer and poised it for a swing.

"Wait!" Wetsuit rushed up and handed Spirit his set of swim goggles. "Safety first... the thing is volcanic glass."

Spirit gave him a wry look. "I do not think that is needed."

Shipwreck immediately agreed with Wetsuit, probably more out of a desire to see the stoic Spirit wearing goggles rather than a wish to encourage safety. "Oh no, bits of glass flying everywhere... you should definitely wear the goggles."

Giving in, Spirit put them on. "Thank you. Now that my eyes are protected, could I please get on with banishing the ancient evil out of our world before it decides to return and possess someone else?"

"Whoa... can it do that?" Beach jerked his chin urgently. "Whack the stupid thing!"

Spirit swung the hammer and struck the delicately edged blade square on. It shattered far more spectacularly than a piece of inert volcanic glass should have. Everyone ducked as Nukpana's last fading screams sounded. Tiny bits of glass flew outwardly but then paused midair to then collapse backwards towards the epicenter, disappearing completely with a loud anticlimactic 'pop' of noise. Everyone stared at the empty spot of floor for a moment.

Shipwreck coughed lightly to draw attention to himself. "Well, I guess we could say the 'Spirit moved him' after all!" Groans and a few derisive comments made him duck away.

Jaye was checking on Covergirl. Woozily getting to her feet, the mechanic seemed to be mostly intact. She did have a spectacularly puffy eye from the massive blow the demon had landed on her face. Stepping up into the spot vacated by the fleeing sailor, Covergirl held a hand over her eye as she bent to look at the Ranger. "Well, are you uncrazy now?"

He twisted his head towards Spirit. "I guess so?" Spirit waved more smoldering herbs under his nose a bit before agreeing he was fine. Beach unbent his limbs as they removed the handcuffs and untied his ankles. "Ow... damn but y'all didn't need to go beatin' quite so hard on me." He managed to stand, wincing and trying to straighten his back. "I uhh... I'm really sorry... I mean, not that it was 'me' doing it..."

She put one hand on his shoulder. "It's okay.. it wasn't you." She gave him a light kiss on one cheek. "Don't make a habit out of picking up shiny possessed demon blades though, okay?"

He rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, cause that's what I intended to do tonight. Go patrol, get possessed by some evil Indian that died centuries ago, beat the shit outa Flint, attack my girlfriend and get my ass handed to me by my teammates and like it." He snorted. "Of course, if it weren't for me trying to take back over my body, the whole room would be painted red with y'all's blood. You have to take a threat seriously, you can't be thinking automatically that it's a teammate when it's obviously homicidal..."

Shipwreck suddenly shook his head. "Wait wait... back up... what about Flint?"

Beachhead suddenly shut his mouth. "Uhh.. well... it wasn't 'me' you see but... well..."

Duke suddenly appeared, looked disheveled and annoyed. "Why can't these huge disturbances happen at a decent hour instead of when I'm off duty and asleep?" He automatically glared at Shipwreck who blanched and pointed at Beachhead. Duke transferred his glare to the Ranger. "What the hell happened?"

Beachhead tried to think about how to explain. "There was a … uhh... evil Indian spirit who took over my body and all. But it's gone now but not dead." He thought about that. "Well, not any more dead than he was before, I guess."

Duke sighed. "And why isn't Flint here taking care of this and what made Spirit turn evil?"

Spirit scowled. "I was not evil. The evil was Nukpana who was a Hopi demon who was imprisoned in a spearpoint which Beachhead cut himself on and thereby opened himself to be possessed." He paused, looking annoyed. "I am certain that Beachhead is fine now and Nukpana was banished and is no longer a threat."

Shipwreck helpfully spoke up. "And Beachhead beat up Flint!"

Everyone turned to stare at him and he stuttered slightly. "Well, but he did!"

Beachhead grunted. "Well, technically not me... but yeah. Someone should go drag him out of the secretarial offices and let Lifeline poke some needles into him or something. I just kicked him in the head... he's fine."

"You knocked him unconscious by kicking him in the head, he's not 'fine'." Duke directed someone to go find the warrant officer and get him medical treatment. "I want reports from everyone concerned." He held up a hand. "But I want them in the morning, after I've had some sleep." He waved a hand at the room. "Tell Dialtone he has the post until my shift." As he exited the rec room, he shot a parting comment over his shoulder. "And everyone stay out of all further trouble for the forseeable future, period!"

Beachhead snorted derisively at that. Giving Covergirl a sly glance, he spoke casually, "Yeah... there's not a _ghost_ of a chance of that!"

His bruises didn't hurt all that much when the shower of random objects were thrown in his direction.

* * *

The End.

I hop that you liked reading it. Creepiness and all!


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